India to raise 454.71 billion rupees in telecoms sector fees

Telecommunication towers are pictured through hanging flower pots at a residential building in Kolkata December 11, 2012.

Reuters/Rupak De Chowdhuri/Files

REUTERS - The government expects to raise 454.71 billion rupees ($7.59 billion) from the telecoms sector in fees, including proceeds from airwave auctions, during the current fiscal year, the government said in its budget presentation on Thursday.

The previous government had said in its interim budget in February that it aims to raise 389.54 billion rupees from the sector.

Receipts under 'other communication services' mainly relate to one-time spectrum charges levied as per the recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, auction of 1800 MHz and 900 MHz spectrum, and receipts from 800 MHz spectrum, the government said.

The Department of Telecom collects recurring licence fees from various telecom operators licensed by it, apart from one-time entry fees from new operators.

($1 = 59.9350 rupees)

(Reporting by Nivedita Bhattacharjee in Mumbai; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)

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